Laz

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A member of an ethnic group from the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey and Georgia ; the language spoken by this people ; relating to the culture or heritage of this community
2. Belonging to a population native to areas near the southeastern Black Sea in Turkey and parts of Georgia ; speaking a South Caucasian language ; associated with distinctive traditions and customs
3. Identifying an individual from an indigenous group residing in northeastern Turkey and western Georgia ; using a Kartvelian language ; pertaining to their unique social and cultural identity

Etymology: The English adjective "Laz" comes to us from Turkish "Laz," which in turn derives from the name the Laz people use for themselves, "lazi" (ლაზი) in the Georgian script used for their Kartvelian language. The word therefore names a people by their own self-designation, passed along through a neighbouring language rather than coined in English. The Laz are a people of the southeastern Black Sea coast, living in northeastern Turkey and parts of Georgia, and they speak Laz, a South Caucasian language closely related to Mingrelian. Because the name arrived in English via Turkish, English speakers meet it as an outsider's label for a group whose own name for themselves is the Georgian-script "lazi."

Synonyms: lazy, indolent, sluggish, lethargic, idle

Antonyms: active, energetic, industrious, diligent, hardworking